How to Grow Walking Onions

Walking onions, also known as Egyptian onions, tree onions, or top onions, are an interesting and easy-to-grow plant that is both ornamental and useful. They get their name from their unique ability to multiply and move across your garden bed, and they produce tasty onion bulbs as well as green onions.

If you're interested in growing walking onions in your garden, here's how to do it:

Planting Walking Onions

Walking onions can grow in most soil types, and they prefer a sunny to partially shaded location. Start by preparing your planting area by working in some well-aged compost or other organic matter.

Plant your walking onion sets in the late winter or early spring, about one inch deep and three inches apart. Make sure the sets are planted with the pointed end facing up.

Once you've planted your walking onions, water them regularly to ensure that they stay hydrated. Walking onions can tolerate dry soil, but they'll grow best with consistent moisture.

Caring for Walking Onions

Once your walking onions have started to grow, they'll require minimal maintenance. You can fertilize them once or twice a year with a balanced fertilizer, but they don't need much else.

As your walking onions grow and mature, they'll produce small bulbs at the base of their stems. These bulbs can be harvested in the late summer or early fall, depending on your climate.

If left to their own devices, walking onions will begin to "walk" across your garden bed by bending down their stems and rooting new plants. To prevent this from happening, you can either mow your walking onions down periodically or pull the bulbs up every few years and replant them in a new location.

Using Walking Onions

Walking onions are useful in the kitchen and can be used in a variety of dishes. The small bulbs can be chopped up and used like regular onions, while the green stems can be used like chives or scallions.

If you're looking for a unique and useful plant to add to your garden, walking onions are definitely worth considering. With their ability to self-propagate and their versatility in the kitchen, they're sure to be a favorite among both gardeners and cooks alike.